Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by TheHammer:

Appearance: Got this one in a trade with ludachris, thanks man. Came in a cyan and olive bottle with a picture of what I assume is a dogfish on it. Cloudy gold/yellow color that poured with a finger of head that laces decently and retains quite well. However, the beer itself also seems to have some carbonation issues at first glance as I'm not see very much of it.

Smell: Overpowering smell of citrus hops on this one which isn't surprising given the style, however it's way out of control. A lot of dry, hay like smell mixed with mild pine needles too. The strength is perfect, and it's not unpleasant but this is setting alarms off in my head that this beer is going to be way too dry and bitter.

Taste: Well my predictions via the smell were correct. It starts with a hay like flavor and then turns to a slight touch of grapefruit near the middle that is annihilated by the bitterness till the end by a taste I can only describe as dry hops mixed with burnt, dried pine needles. WAY too bitter for my tastes, and the only reason I don't grade it lower, is because I'm to understand a large amount of bitterness is normal for the style.

Mouthfeel: Leaves a god awful bitter aftertaste that leaves the mouth as dry as a bone. It's carbonation is surprisingly decent, but the problem is in only serves to enhance the terrible taste. Also, it is abundantly clear that this beer has a high alcohol content. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact I'm not catching any sort of chemical flavor, I'd rate this a 1.

Drinkability: Well I find the taste and the feeling it leaves in my mouth to hamstring it's drinkability. It's carbonation makes it lack smoothness, and it's dryness doesn't make you feel refreshed at all. Thankfully it is decent on the gut, but that's not saying much. I can't finish this beer, which is always a bad sign.

<Edit: After 10 minutes after drinking, I got a vicious case of gut rot, making this my first 1 score in the field of drinkability>

Final Thoughts: Having never had a IPA outside of Alexander Keith's (which I know isn't a good example of the style) I thought I'd give this stuff a try. If this is an A- beer for the style, then this style must not be for me. I drain poured this at the halfway mark it was so god awful. The only redeeming quality is the smell, and there is more to a beer then a nice aroma. There is no balance to this beer, the bitter and dry nature is out of control. It's very rare I have a beer that completely puts me off of a style, but this stuff does it. I'm more inclined to try another Japanese style beer sooner then another IPA because of this beer. Stay away unless you thrive on dry bitterness.

More User Reviews:

Appearance - Pours a clear golden orange with an eggshell white 2 finger head. Fantastic retention that just refuses to die. Lacing makes no qualms about grasping to the side of the glass and hanging around like has nothing else better to do.

Taste - Flavor is a bit more tame, but still manages some nice character. Orange notes are predominant, with touches of mint leaf and light pith bitterness in the finish. Malts are faint, but very generic, like white bread.

Overall - Really nice, smooth drinking beer. Really, everything that you'd want in an IPA that you could drink bottle after bottle, while still delivering a solid punch of flavor. Yeah, I think I'll be buying this again sometime in the near future!

A solid, easily accessible IPA. Has a great bouquet of sweet tropical fruit and pineapple. Taste is mainly tart grapefruit flavors, but has a mild sweetness on the finish for some balance. The taste is pretty typical of a quality IPA. Overall good, but nothing special.

Living on the West Coast, IPA's are king. Unfortunately, the majority of IPA's here do nothing but destroy the palate, leaving people unable to enjoy what lies beneath the hops. This beer does an exemplary job of allowing you to taste everything the beer has to offer without drowning you with hops. One of the few IPA's that can be drank as an everyday beer (or session beer as it's called).

If you are looking for an IPA that is more on the mellow side versus other IPAs this one is for you. I like my IPAs strong with a big, hoppy bite and a pungent nose. This IPA is good but not great. Kind of bland in the context of IPAs.

Appearance  This one is a deep but brilliant orange in color with a thick, creamy, retentive head that is slowly lacing the hell out of my Cottonwood glass.

Smell  This nose has a full, huge biscuity character making it a strong East Coast IPA. Its almost nutty its so big. The hops are big and fruity.

Taste  The malts here are gigantic and flavored with Macadamia nuts. The biscuit is like raw biscuit dough. Its almost tangy and very yeasty, not in a Hefe Weizen way but more like yeast in warm water after its foamed but before its mixed with dough. The hops are classic East Coast with lots of non-acidic grapefruit and a strong citrus balance.

Mouthfeel  This one is on the big side of medium-bodied with some good carbonation but little drying on the tongue. Its creamy in the mouth like peanut butter.

Drinkability  This is very different than other IPAs that Ive had. It doesnt follow the pattern of DFHs other IPAs, thats for sure. It is very smooth though and went down quite well.

Update  I originally reviewed this with an 05 sample so thought Id revisit it with a 2006 vintage. Its not as big in the mouth as I initially noted, but a very solid East Coasty IPA.

Pours a deep golden color with just a few tints of copper and orange when the light hits it - relatively bright white head that reduces to a thin sheet over the beer in a few minutes. Some of the most tremendous lacing I've ever seen - I could tell you how big each and ever sip was (I have a picture of the empty glass somewhere). Aromas are, of course, hop heavy; floral and citrus are the most prominent, slight pine in the background. Sweet malt detectable, providing a nice canvas for the hops to dance on. Some woody and wheat aromas come out as the beer warms up, but stay tertiary to the hops and malt.

Flavor is spot on, nice up-front bitterness from the hops, entwined with their own blend of citrus and grapefruit flavors. Light hop oils and some leafy presence, almost gray tea in character. Slight pepper in the background? Not sure about that one... Malt is secondary but still noticeable and definitely helpful, as it should be in an IPA. Sweetness plays around on the palate about halfway through and towards the end, however the lingering citrus and bitterness is the reminder left on your tongue. Alcohol plays a nice role in the warmth of the beer, remaining detectable but not hindering or unwelcome. Medium in body and carbonated generously.

This beer is a great IPA, plain and simple. Nothing too fancy or wacky, but executed superbly. At 6% ABV, it might be slightly high to session, but if you're feeling frisky - go for it. One of the first beers I recommend to my friends who are new to IPAs (and usually the world of craft beer), right before I bump them up to Two Hearted.

Pale golden color, with sensational clarity and head retention. Bready malts up front in the nose, unusually so for an IPA. The taste is floral and grapefruity hops, hints of pine, with tones of chocolate malt, and a tingly bitter finish. This is more of a "session" IPA, for me. It's not gonna blow you away, unless you're one of the people it blows away.